Principles and Goals

Guiding Principles

The MBON agenda is aligned with key international agreements and guidelines for evaluating changes in ocean biodiversity for sustainable development:

• The United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
• UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development;
• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD);
• Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) global assessments;
• GEO BON;
• Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC).

Goals

• Develop a common framework for high priority observations in the context of Essential Ocean Variables;
• Promote best practice (OBPs) in observations, data management, and applications to advance interoperability and data integration (DarwinCore), and publication of data in open-access databases (OBIS);
• Promote the publication of observations and development of products that inform policies, ocean uses, and research;
• Facilitate capacity building;
• Serve and work with the ocean science community and resource management practitioners to achieve their goals, expand their international contacts, and support the implementation of biodiversity observations to address local societal needs;
• Coordinate membership through networking, communication efforts, and other facilitation services;
• Foster the development of international and thematic networks within MBON;
• Develop marine biodiversity observing and applications strategies that are coordinated and consistent with fresh water and terrestrial ecologists.